Show You How
by Kauchdbd
Summary: Matsuoka Gou has a secret. (RinGou)
1. Chapter 1

**A/N** (do people still do these?)

I love Free! I love Gou. And I had a lot of unanswered questions at the end of the first season, so I wrote this. Maybe season 2 will delve into this topic? Well, anyway, I'm thinking this will be multichapter, but I should be notorious for not finishing stories by now.

I wrote this on my tablet, so there are probably some misspelled words and such. Forgive me.

Reviews? (:

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Sunlight shone on the still water of the pool at Iwatobi High. Gou sat alone next to it, a bento in her lap. Her stomach growled to remind her that it was lunch time, but she stared hard at her phone's screen, ignoring it. Fingers moved quickly over the keypad. She re-read the message, then deleted everything she had typed. Lately, she didn't know how to approach her brother. Rin hardly replied and Gou hated being ignored.

"Gou chan?" Nagisa stood over her, curiously looking down at the swim club's manager.

She smiled. "What's up?" His muscles weren't as awesome as Makoto's or even Rei's, but she didn't mind having them in front of her, and so close.

"Why are you out here by yourself? You're wearing a bikini, so does that mean you're going for a swim? Come to think of it, I've never seen you swim before, Gou chan." he put a finger up to his chin thoughtfully.

"I suppose that's true," her face seemed to turn as red as her hair, "I just don't have the time like you and the other guys, you know!"

Her defensive tone seemed odd, but he ignored it. "Well, you do stay busy with the club. Anyway, have you seen Haru chan? I came looking for him here because he's almost always near the water when he has some spare time."

"No, haven't seen him today." Gou snapped her phone closed and put it on the seat next to her. Now, she would finally give some attention to her lunch.

"I see. Thanks anyway, manager!" He waved and ran off before she could even split her chop sticks.

Later, when the food was long gone and the sun had sunk lower in the sky, she decided to go home. Her relaxing poolside day of tanning was over as soon as the skin darkening source dipped below the trees. Gou gathered her empty bento and put her towel around her swimsuit, closing the gate to the pool behind her as she left. The familiar creak and slam brought up an old memory of Rin and their father.

_"But I can't." She protested with tears in her eyes. The day was hot, so their father had taken them to an outdoor pool for some fun and relief from the mid-summer weather._

_Rin grabbed her hand, "It's easy! I'll show you how to do it." Slowly, he lead his sister into the cold water of the shallow end from where she'd been standing on the top concrete step. Her thumb was firmly stuck in her mouth to keep herself from crying. She admired Rin, swimming like a shark who had targeted some prey in the distance as he dipped under the surface. That looked easy enough, but when she took a deep breath and tried to go under, she panicked and shot back up. What had a calming effect on him, seemed to scare her more than anything._

_"It's alright." She looked up at the big man pulling her out of the pool, "you'll learn not to be afraid one day, Gou." He pat her on the top of her head. She layed against his shoulder as he called for Rin._

_"I'm not ready to go." He complained, but dried off anyway and followed them. The gate's latch clicked and she decided that next time, she would swim._

There wasn't a next time. She sighed, looking again at the water. Gou wiped away a tear that threatened to spill down her face. Missing her father after so many years felt silly, but that hole in a family couldn't be fixed and with a distant mother, her brother acting like a stranger, what did that leave her with?

It was dark, but instead of going right down the sidewalk to her empty house, she took off to the left. If nothing else, there was one thing she could try to fix.

Samezuka Academy seemed close to her school during daylight hours, so she ran. Her mind was all over the place at once, her main thought being what to say to him when she got there, but when she stood, panting in front of the expensive building, it all disappeared. The double glass doors were locked, so she walked around to the pool. Maybe he would be inside, training late.

Sure enough, she saw him through the glass, splashing hastily down the length of the pool. The lights were off. She supposed he didn't want to draw attention to the fact that he swam alone at night, which probably broke a couple of school rules. After watching a moment, she went in, biting her lip to still the nervous butterflies in her stomach.

Rin stopped when he saw her, pulling himself up on the concrete ledge. "What are you doing here, Gou?" He didn't look at her as he took off his goggles and cap. She examined the usual furrowed brow and frown that stayed on his face.

"I just wanted to talk. It's important." She put down her things and let go of the towel that was wrapped around her body.

"About what?" He looked at her, then away, suddenly kind of embarassed. How long had it been since he'd seen her whole figure like that? Not since it was stick like, that's for sure.

Her face flushed and she stared at her feet, the toenails painted orange. Nervously, she answered, "I want to swim too." She nearly choked on the words as she imagined choking on the water. Her brother was the only person in the world that knew about her deep fear of drowning. It only got worse since their father's death. When he went down in the storm, she couldn't help but imagine what it must have been like. How the constricting pain in his oxygen deprived lungs would've left him panicked. Now, she could only stare at the liquid in a pool, never touch it, even with a single toe. She never even got close to the ocean.

Rin pushed back his hair, uncomfortably looking at her again. "You sure?" Swimming was different from talking. Gou could easily talk all day, though at the moment, she was speechless. He sighed at her, then turned around to face the pool again.

"Will you teach me?" This came out as an almost whisper, but it echoed in the large room. Stars pinpointed the sky overhead, and she felt as if this would be the perfect time for learning something new and pushing past her fears with the help of someone she trusted.

"Tomorrow." He placed a hand on her shoulder as he passed her to leave. The sound of the door closing was loud and she shivered. It was chilly, even inside, with only her bikini on. She was surprised that Rin agreed so easily. Maybe now, they could begin to get closer. That is, if she would be able to get in the water at all.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N**

I got a little sappy with this one toward the end, but there aren't enough Rin/Gou fanfictions here! Enjoy the sibling fluff. Also, there seems to be some onesided Haru/Gou happening as well.

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An alarm sounded off and Gou sprang up, startled by it. She slammed her hand into the snooze button, falling back on the bed and staring groggily at the ceiling. Iwatobi swim club's manager wasn't used to being forced awake so early on a Sunday, but it was compensated by the thought of getting to spend time with Rin. Imagining that sharp toothed grin she hadn't seen in a long time made her get out of the pink pajamas and into her swimming attire. A fresh smile adorned her face as she pulled a shirt over her head to cover the bikini. After she tied her hair in a high ponytail and jumped into a pair of white shorts, she raced downstairs out the door.

Outside, the weather felt perfect and a light breeze blew salty ocean smells in her face. Living in Iwatobi, it was impossible for a person to escape that smell. She passed Nanase Haruka's house and wondered off-handedly if he was there. When she heard a blundering sound inside, she ran to the door. "Haru! Are you okay?" she called over the threshold after slamming the shoji screen open.

"I'm alright." Haruka appeared from around a corner. As usual in the early morning, he wore an apron over his favorite swim bottoms. She stared at the muscles in his arm for a moment of awkward silence, then her face turned furiously red when she realized what she was doing.

Nervous giggling followed the reaction. "Ah, well, I was passing by and heard some loud clattering. Sorry for bursting in like that, Haruka senpai." She stiffly turned to go back toward the sidewalk.

"I'm having mackerel for breakfast, if you want any." His monotone offer stopped her. Gou thought about skipping the first meal of the day to get to Rin's dorm faster, but the girl's stomach betrayed her and made an embarassingly loud grumble in protest, so she agreed. Walking inside, she noticed that his house was as tidy as ever. Momentos of his grandmother, not touched after her death, were spread here and there around the rooms.

"Is mackerel the only thing you know how to cook?" She sat with her legs tucked under on the floor in front of his table. He shot a curious glance, but didn't answer. Haru always kept her wondering about his feelings. Did he only have emotions when he was surrounded by water or something? His back was turned toward her while he grilled the fish, the pungent smell hitting her nose at once. Ever the person to take initiative, she stood and walked into the kitchen. Noticing a frying pan on a peg over the sink, she grabbed it. "Have any eggs?" Haru opened the refrigerator and produced a large carton. Besides mackerel, he loved egg with most dishes. She nosed through pantry doors until she found a bottle of oil. "I would ask how you like them," she poured a bit of the liquid in the pan, "but I only know one way." Their arms brushed and she felt an instant heat rise up into her face.

He was only silent as she turned on the old electric stove top and waited for the oil to heat up. If the sudden contact rustled him, he didn't give any indication.

After their breakfast, during which Haru only became animated after Gou brought up the idea of more island training, she thanked him and went on her way. The academy wasn't far, but she sprinted down the hot sidewalks and crosswalks to keep from talking herself out of her resolution. Thoughts of being in deep water haunted her in normal circumstances.

She made it to the front of Samezuka's main building just as her brother was walking out with Nitori Aiichirou at his heels. "Good morning, you two." Efforts to cover up the apprehensiveness in her voice came across too cheerful, eliciting an unwelcome look from the older Matsuoka.

"Nitori," Rin glared at the silver haired boy before he had a chance to speak, "I'm training without you today."

"But, Matsuoka senpai, we.." seeing that Rin was in no mood to argue, he relented, "we can train tomorrow, then." He smiled brightly at Gou and waved a goodbye.

Nitori out of the way, she turned her attention to Rin. He wore his swim club jacket which she hardly ever saw him out of and baggy grey shorts. "Let's go." He started to walk away, expecting her to follow, in the opposite direction of Samezuka's pool.

"How is school going, big brother?" Skipping up beside him, Gou examined his features as if seeing him for the first time. He had a handsome jawline, and eyes the same color as her own, although his held more fire in them. All the things she wanted to ask or say to this man next to her vanished and she could only make small talk to fill the void in conversation and keep her mind off the pool.

"Do you really want to know?" This person who was so angry couldn't be the boy she looked up to as a child watching him swim in relays. He shoved his hands in his pockets, stopping, "Gou, you don't have to swim."

She was unsure of how to respond while so many emotions swirled around in her brain, mixing together into one mess. She was mad at him for being a different person from the one she knew, sad because she loved him despite it all. Finally, she fixed her eyes on him, now standing directly in front of her. "Yes, I do. I have to do it- for you and dad." Gou teared up, "it will bring you back to me, Rin, because we'll finally be close. After dad died and you left for Australia, I felt so alone. I hate it! If I could just swim like you, maybe I wouldn't feel like that anymore."

He stared at her with a suprised expression as small tears started rolling down her face. The only sounds for a few moments were Gou's sniffling and traffic in the street next to them. "Fuck." Rin ran a hand through his hair, frustratedly. He suddenly grabbed her wrist, pulled her into his chest and wrapped his arms around her small frame, the blue hair tie she always wore brushed his neck. "Do your best."

Her cheek smushed into the zipper of his jacket, but she didn't mind. His encouragement was all she'd wanted for a long time. "I will."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N**

I think after I finish this fic, I'll write something featuring Ama chan-sensei and Nagisa because FUCK YEAH, CRACK PAIRINGS and statutory.

If it wasn't clear in previous chapters, this story takes place before Iwatobi swim club entered the regional competition. This is such a long chapter compared to the others, but I swear stuff happens! Although, I'm saving the climax for next time. Right now, you will be finding out the real reason for Rin being shipped off to Australia...

Some things in this part draw from the light novel (locations, shrubbery) and were not made up by me.

Read on.

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Above her head, the bubbles of air she let out broke the mostly still surface of the water. Gou's lungs felt close to bursting at any moment. She squeezed the hand she was holding onto for support, then pulled up into the air, gasping. "10 seconds." Rin told her as she stood. She breathed fast and hard, exhilarated, panicked, afraid, but alive. Of course, Rin wouldn't let her drown in a waist deep pool, but that was how irrationally her fear would make her think. It had taken him a while to calm her and get her in with him. For the past few hours, he had been making her do simple breath holding excersises to get her more comfortable with being in the water, but still, her body trembled and waves of unpleasant feelings went through her.

"I'm doing much better, but I think I want to stop for today..." She held her free hand up to her chest and felt the rapidly beating heart through her skin, then realized her other hand still clung to Rin's which caused her muscles to tense. She snuck a glance at him. His skin glistened with sweat and water, making his biceps and triceps look especially appealing. It made her face burn thinking of how attractive her brother was. What kind of pervert had those feelings? She let go of his hand.

"Yeah. We've been here for long enough now and I'm hungry." Rin agreed, looking away from her. She couldn't tell, but she thought he was blushing too.

"Well, there's a takoyaki stand not far from here. Want to go, nii?" He nodded and waded out of the pool, shaking the droplets of water from his hair.

The stand was old fashioned, looking somewhat out of place on a modern street corner. Poplar trees were planted next to it. The same breeze that had been blowing all day rustled their leaves and gently tapped the outside of the place. Rin walked up to the uncrowded front and ordered for them both. "I hope I'll be able to swim before the next time we camp." Gou said as he sat next to her on a nearby bench to wait for the food. "I really want to be able to join Haru and the guys in the water." Just being the manager didn't make her feel like a part of their team and that made her think of herself as unnecessary.

Rin sneered at the mention of Haruka. "Why is that so important?" The question was meant to be rhetorical. He didn't seem to want to hear about her team. "Nanase-" he started, but was interrupted by shouting.

"Gou!" Both Matsuoka's looked up to see Makoto and Haruka walking towards the takoyaki stand, Makoto waving at them. He wore a green t-shirt with a dolphin on it over khaki pants, and she felt sure she'd seen the shirt before, recalling a day at practice when she'd told him how much she liked it.

She waved back. "Hey! Did you come to get takoyaki, too?" she asked when they reached her. Rin stood, nodded stiffly to them, and went back to the front of the stand to retrieve their food. Gou could tell he was getting more and more annoyed.

"Yeah." Haru answered her, not watching Rin. Her brother brought her a small paper plate with the steamed balls arranged in a circle on it.

"Gou, I want to talk to you about something. Do you mind?" Makoto smiled at her. The usual, cheesy Mako smile.

"I don't have time to stand here and listen to this small talk." Rin said indignantly. His words changed Makoto's expression to a surprised one as the red haired boy stormed off.

Haruka awkwardly scratched his cheek with a finger. "I only wanted to let you know about this idea I have," Makoto said, "I think we should have a pool party before the regional competition. It would help everyone loosen up and have fun while sort of practicing at the same time. You should swim with us too, Gou chan."

She nodded, "I'll tell Ama chan-sensei and help her plan it!"

"Sounds like fun." Haruka said before going to the front of the stand.

"Of course he would say that a party involving the water sounds fun," Gou laughed. "Anyway, I have to catch up with big brother. See you guys at training tomorrow." Makoto cheerily waved again as she walked away.

To find Rin, she would cross Mutsuki bridge, a large wooden bridge that extended over the width of the river. Like some parts of Iwatobi, it looked antique (though sturdy,) pulled out of the pages of a Japanese history book and placed in the fishing village. When they moved there as small children, Gou and Rin would have to cross it every day to get to their school. She always held onto her big brother's hand until they were safely on the other side. Now, she really missed the days like that. What broke her heart, however, was the distance that had inched in between them and the way he had let it.

Rin would surely have gone back to Samezuka, and across the bridge was the shortest way to get there, so she stepped onto it with determination. Looking over the rail and down into the dark water, she shuddered before pulling back. A classmate from grade school had almost drowned in it once.

She came upon the academy quicker than expected and made her way inside the dorm building. People walked down the halls, socializing before school resumed the next day. Suddenly, she was stopped by a boy with hair redder than her own and golden eyes. He smirked at her wolfishly. "Are you here to see me, Gou kun?"

"No, but could you please stop putting -kun at the end of my name?" She asked pleasantly, just like every time she ended up meeting Mikoshiba Seijuuro. He didn't seem to hear her.

"So, you must be looking for Matsuoka, then." He pointed at a door to the left of where they stood, "that's his and Nitori's room. I just came back from checking in on him since he didn't show up to the pool today." Gou felt a little guilty for being the cause of that, but she didn't mention it and thanked him before darting in the dorm.

Rin was lying on the bottom bunk of the bed, staring at his phone. "Nii?" she wondered what on the screen could be that interesting, before he put the phone down on the floor. Judging by the look on his face, she knew that something bothered him. His brows were knit, but not in a mad way. "What's wrong?"

The older brother who always seemed so mature dissolved into a little boy again right in front of her. She sat down on the mattress next to him. "I guess I should tell you." Rin picked the phone back up, opened a message, and held it in front of her. Immediately, she noticed it was from their mother, which was odd because she and Rin never seemed to get along well. Her eyes moved down. _Leave Gou alone. You have no business trying to ruin her life,_ she read silently.

She shook her head, somewhat confused. "What does that mean?"

He sighed deeply, sitting up, preparing, shoving a hand through his hair and holding it there. "When I left to go to Australia, it wasn't only to swim. Mother sent me there to get away from you. She thought we were becoming closer than siblings. It wasn't true then, but it seemed that each holiday when I came to visit, you were... more beautiful every time. That's when I realized it myself. Big brothers don't, uh, feel like that about their sisters." He mumbled the last sentence and with a clenched fist, turned his head so that his eyes wouldn't meet hers.

Gou was silenced. All the time that she had missed him wasn't his fault. She regretted ever telling her mother anything when it came to Rin. "I've been thinking that your attitude has been to blame.. I even joined Iwatobi's swim club because I thought they could help change you back to your previous self." He stood up, looking as though he expected to be scolded by her, but instead, she threw her arms around his waist from where she sat. Neither spoke, he only pet her ponytail, but those confessions were the beginning of bridging the gap that so many years had forced between them.


End file.
